137

son of Bakhtanassar ascended the throne after the demise
of his father, he considered rebellion and arrogance to be
his duties. He began to cook pork in, and to drink wine
from, the vessels of the Holy House, which the Satans had
built by order of the prophet Suliman (u. w. b., etc.). He
not only refused to be warned by Daniel, but expelled him
from his society. His mother said : * Thy father was wiser
than thou ; he, nevertheless, consulted Danial in all matters^
and I think it would be proper for thee to do so likewise,
.and to profit by his foresighted sagacity/ The son replied:
' Leave off these words, for I hate no man on the face of
the earth more than him.' About this time the son of
Bakhtanassar was, on a festive occasion, sitting in a
banquet with the grandees of his realm, when all of a
sudden a hand made its appearance,144 and immediately
disappeared again, but on that hand three words were
written. No one present knew what the writing meant;
therefore the son of Bakhtanassar and his grandees were
under great fear and apprehension, and some of the latter
said to him: ' If thou wishest to be relieved of thy pain
and grief, call for Denial, implore his pardon, and propose
this question to his penetrating mind that we may see
what he will reveal/ The prince approved of the opinion
of his ministers, and, after conciliating Danial, proffered
his request for the solution of that important difficulty.
Dani&l replied: On that hand the following three words
(or, rather, sentences] were written : Wazana, falchaffa,; wa
wa'dd fanjaza; uu jama' fafarraqa [He weighed and
found it light; He promised and fulfilled it; He collected
and dispersed]/ The son of Bakhtanassar having asked
for the meaning of these words, Daniel replied : * Their
signification is, that God—w. n. b. e.—has weighed thy
works, and found them light; He has promised to give
thee dominion, and fulfilled His promise; He has collected
ihe cause of thy pomp and greatness, and He has scattered
them/146 The king again queried: ' When will this disper-

144 Daniel, ch. v. 5.

145 Daniel, ch. v. 25-28. See also Journ. Asiatique, 1886, t.
pp. 36-68.